Cranky gunshop owners

25-06

Wild Bill hit on a sore spot of most gun shop owners I know. Most people who do not own a gunshop have no idea of the amount of money you can tie up in inventory. I have had a small shop for 26 years and I recently sold all my loading components to another dealer in Texas who could use them. I had one set of metal shelves with over $3000.00 worth of brass, at dealers cost. Over $40,000.00 worth of guns, and I have a small shop. How would you feel if you had a nice storefront business, paying maybe one or two employees, all the utilities bills, and maybe rent, had several hundred thousand tied up in inventory and people wanted to come in and handle the newest model gun, bang it around, try the trigger, slam the bolt, operate the action hard on levers and pumps, spin the cylinder on new revo;vers, look at the latest ammo, ask lots of stupid questions, take up lots of your time, and then go someplace else and buy their stuff.
One other thought, anyone hear the old saying: "Those of you who think you know it all are very annoying to those of us who actually do." Just joking on that saying, but shop owners get very bored hearing the know-it alls blow about their exploits.
One reason gunsmiths might seem cranky is that they may not like someone watching over their shoulder while they are trying to fix something. Idle conversation breaks their concentration and line of thought.

lrarmsx

Here, here, quite correct and to the point. People complain all the time about how much of a profit the dealer is making when he sells you a gun. If most of us had an idea of how much profit was being made every time we bought furniture, clothes, a beer at at bar, or went to a movie, we'd probably be physically ill. Yet no one seems to think they should be allowed to short cut the system and buy everything at cost at the grocery store.

What do you people do for a living? Do you expect to be paid for the work you do? It doesn't really cost that much to keep a human being alive 8 hours a day. For those of you earning $8, $10, $15, $20 or more dollars an hour, don't even think about complaining about your local dealer making $50 or more on a gun. How many hours does that dealer have to put in between sales? How many guns do they sell a day, a week? If you tried to live on a that small of a margin, you'd be cranky too. Who else is going to help fix your gun? Who else is going to show you how to take it apart? Who else is going to be there to receive a gun for you or to ship one when needed. This has got to be one of the smallest markup industries out there, yet everyone thinks they are getting screwed when they pay anything more than wholesale. In most industries, you'd never have such unrestricted access to wholesale cost. If you don't know that a lot of other industries have a minimum of a 100% markup, now you do. There are some products in other industries that have a markup of over 600% or more. You never see a gun shop commonly have 25%, 33%, or 50% off the entire inventory. Know why? Because that would be selling below cost. Yet you see it all the time in jewelry stores, furniture stores, clothing stores, and a host of others. That just goes to show that those businesses have so much of a regular markup that they can take that much off and still turn a profit. So just think how badly they are scewing you the other 364 days a year. So the next time you see a dealer marking up a gun to $600 from the $500 that he paid, just think he is only making 20%, not 50%, not 100%, or the 200-600% of other businesses. No just 20%, that is all. You should think about giving him a hug. He isn't screwing you. Now a $2.50 bottle of beer, a $10.00 movie ticket, or a $5.00 bucket of popcorn and a $2.50 glass of Coke, NOW THAT IS GETTING SCREWED.

If everyone got paid as little as most dealers get paid for their time after overhead and expenses, most of us couldn't afford to buy guns at half of dealer cost. Just think about that next time.

modoc

25-06,I can't understand how you guys can put up with the abuse you take day in and day out.The JERKS want to come in your shop and engage you in all kind of questions that anybody with an ounce of common sense could answer and before you can give them an answer they begin an argument with you.Right there they would receive a mouth full of fist from me.They expect you guys to give them all the info they want so they can buy the right thing from wally world or k-mart.Then they expect you to make it good if it is sour.The ones I'd like to kill are the guys who buy a scope at wally world,a set of rings at costco and a base at k-mart and expect you to mount it for free.Of course they never get compatable parts so of course you can trade them even up for your good parts.Afterall why should they have to run all over to get the right stuff.DAMN,,I GET MAD WRITING THIS.
Most of my BEST friends are owners of gun shops,but they have a hell of a lot more patience than I will ever have.At times they ask me to help if they are busy so I give it my best.They keep an ear out and come to the rescue if I get hooked up with an idiot.They realize I have a short fuse.
All the rest of you "SPORTSMEN",lend an ear.If you like haveing a gun shop in your town,you had better stop buying at the wally worlds and other gypo joints and support the little guy in his shop.You NEED him and it is the "OLD" American way to support your neighbors.Stop thinking of the all mighty buck and consider him and his family.He has a big nut to crack just to stay open.We are led by selfserving politicians that we all hate but there you go heading for the gypo joints.That too is selfserving.Those big ouitfits are only interested in a fast buck and if they don't make it they will leave.Good riddance.On the other hand the little guy takes on a rough business to raise his family in a nice place he can call home and with his help make it a good place to live.Just as you need a livelyhood and would like to send your kids on to a better life than you had,the gunshop owner longs for the same thing.In his place you will probably called by your name and treated like a friend.The big outfits wouldn't even miss you if you dropped dead in the parking lot.
I have made it my policy to deal only with the owner of the business.
If he is not on the premises then I leave.Try that at the big stores.
WE've got to wake up our neighbors to these facts.I'm sure most have never considered these things.TIME TO RECONSIDER!!!!!!!!!


BILL

Rafter-S

Yep! They come in and play with your guns, pump you to learn enough to know which one they want, then say "heck, my cousin Jim Bob got one at Walmart for 10 bucks cheaper."

And the next guy comes in, looks at the gun the previous dude was playing with and asks, "is this a used gun?"

GreenLantern

Normally I won't throw my $.02 in on topics like this but I guess there's a first time for everything. Whatever line of business you're in, you're going to be dealing a percentage of the population that are idiots. If you don't like it, stop whining and find a new line of work. My guess is that if you decide instead to sell vacuum cleaners, you'll probably piss and moan about some of the people shopping for a vacuum who complain about the price and the comparable model elsewhere. You're dealing with human nature. And either way you're going to have to invest a certain amount of capital to have enough inventory to attract customers who are going to want to touch the merchandise. Some people, like myself, prefer to purchase goods that we can inspect and get a feel for it. Whenever I do, I try to treat the item as if it were my own. And I know that not every customer has the IQ necessary to think the same way. These are just the facts of life! Or shall I say facts of business. I stop in gun shops whenever I can and I spend a couple of hours any weekend I can browsing the shows. I can say it's not very often that I hear people arguing with the owner or proprietor about his price vs the 'Marts' price. I'm sure it happens since I can't spend every minute of every day in every shop.

BlueTic

Is this the Experts forum? Greenlantern and Dano got it pegged!!!!! Most of the dealers I know, buy for 50% under value and expect 100% over. Yeah your in business, you knew what the margins were and should have known what to expect. Thats why I weld for a living, but I love guns. Sorry to be the Devils advocate, but I was just at Yeagers in Bellingham WA. I asked if they accepted shipments for people and he told me yeah for $25.00 (reasonable considering illegality of infringment on my rights),but they must be shipped through an FFL. I tryed to say that this is against federal laws, but he cut me off and said I've had this conversation before and we do not accept any firearms from individuals. I said that he was digging away at peoples rights to sale and ship firearms. He said that our rights were long gone. I says - Well I won't be back at your store

IF YOU DON'T LIKE MY RIGHTS - GET OUT OF MY COUNTRY (this includes politicians)

Wild Bill

25-06,

I didn't mean to hit a "sore spot" with you regarding gun shops. The fact of the matter is, I do buy SOME things (i.e. targets, holsters, small amounts of ammo, etc.) from my local gun stores. However, when I'm in the market for a new gun or ammo in bulk, I shop online. Why? Because it's cheaper. Usually a LOT cheaper.

For instance, I paid $495 and $425.95 for the last two guns I purchased on GunBroker's auction site. These exact same guns were selling for $699 and $599 respectively in my local gun store. That's a HUGE markup if you ask me.

And I realize gun store owners are entitled to make a living like everyone else, but why should their business be any different from any other business? If you were in the market for a new car, would you pay some car dealer $20,000 for the car you wanted when a private party was selling the exact same car for $15,000, just so the car dealer could "feed his family"? No way. Not unless you have money to throw away, which I certainly don't. It's called capitalism and it's the nature of doing business in America.

So I may not be my local gun store's best customer, but there is some good news. I don't "come in and handle the newest model gun, bang it around, try the trigger, slam the bolt, operate the action hard on levers and pumps, spin the cylinder on new revolvers, look at the latest ammo, ask lots of stupid questions, take up lots of your time, and then go someplace else and buy their stuff." Nope, not me. I've never asked my local gun store employee a single question other than "can you point me to XXX (plug in any product)." Nor do I take up their time talking to them about XXX (plug in any topic). I've looked at a few of their guns in the case, but never asked to handle one. And I don't think "looking" at guns puts too much wear-and-tear on them. If I want to handle and/or try out a gun, I'll rent one from another one of my local gun stores that has an indoor range. This gives me the opportunity to see if I like the gun or not, and it gives the gun store yet another opportunity to make money off of me.

I think I should also point out that when I do buy guns online, I always buy from LICENSED gun dealers/shops. So it's not like gun shops aren't getting my money. It's just that my money is going to more price-competitive gun shops.

"Gun control is not about guns; it's about control." "If guns cause crime, then matches cause arson."

LSandBinc

25-06 Don't forget the insurance that go up every time some know-it-all adjusts a trigger himself then sues the manufacturer!

salzo

Gun shop owners getting ticked answering all those stupid questions, and all of the "handling" the customer does while inspecting a gun! Well then do not complain when all of your customers go to Walmart. If the shop owner does not want to answer customer questions, and does not like it when the customer handles the gun, then explain why I SHOULDNT go to Walmart? Cheaper price, the same service. Walmart wins.
I generally do not buy guns at the Dept. stores, but if the gun shop that I frequented displayed the attitutde you all are speaking off, I would go to Walmart.


Happiness is a warm gun

AntiqueDr

I have found a simple solution that works for me. Whenever possible, I dont inventory the stuff that Wal-Mart sells. You will not find an 870 Express in my store, nor will you find a 700 ADL Synthetic. New guns, anyway, I do have some used ones. You will not find Bushnell or Tasco scopes.

Sako? Yep. Kimber? Yep. Wilson Combat? Yep. Shepherd, Zeiss? Yep.

I don't particularly WANT the Wal-Mart customer, but if one should come in I'll answer the questions, show the guns, and do my level damndest to upgrade that customers wish list. Plus, I'll get all his repair work (and the Wally-World frequent flyers seem to have more repair needs than most).

If they buy their rifle, scope and rings from Wal-Mart and want it mounted/boresighted, fine, shop charges do apply. But even if they buy a set of rings from me, I'll mount/boresight for free. You CAN win customers from the marts, with superior service and produce education.

Now, I'm not saying I don't get crabby. I do. My crabby season begins around Labor Day when people finally get around to bringing their guns in for repair, bluing, bedding, rechambering, whatever, and then everybody wants theirs done in a week. I stay crabby until about March, when everything gets caught up.

We buy, sell and trade quality guns and scopes!Master Dealer for Kimber, Wilson Combat and Dan Wesson.Visit our website at www.ApaxEnterprises.com

AntiqueDr

Apparently I am too stupid to figure out how to edit my post.

Well, I meant "product education" not produce. I do not carry produce.

I also meant to include that if a customer WANTS an 870 Express I will deliberately beat Wal-Mart's price on special order, since I dont have money/time tied up in inventorying that item. Won't make much if any money on that gun, but I bet I sell ammo, supplies, etc that I WILL make money on, plus I now have an ex-WalMart customer running his head to his Wal-Mart shopper buddies about what a deal he got.



We buy, sell and trade quality guns and scopes!Master Dealer for Kimber, Wilson Combat and Dan Wesson.Visit our website at www.ApaxEnterprises.com